In relation to this chosen hymn, let us refer to the words of Kimberely Debus, author of the blog farfringe.com:
“There’s a thing that’s been happening in our congregations that is reflective of what’s been happening in our society: anxiety. While we’d like to think we are our best selves at our congregations, we often are not. And suddenly, we find ourselves more anxious about things we can’t control and a bit overprotective of things we can. Things that were never an issue before are now a crisis, and things that require focus and attention get obscured by the day’s outrage.”
Let’s take a listen to this hymn, for which the lyrics are shown on the video. It is from the teal hymnal, “Singing the Living Journey,” so many of us may not be familiar with it. But the words stress the importance of our church being a haven of peace.
To quote Debus further: “In that one hour each week, we can experience a pause in the action, that can help us deal with anxiety. We should be offering worship that subtly (or not so subtly) pushes the rudder to help us correct course, that provides comfort for those worn, frayed nerves while challenging the status quo. We need sermons and readings that call us to our best selves. And we perhaps most of all, music that reminds us of who we are and who we want to be must ring through our sanctuaries.”
This rendition is by Michael Tacy, Music Director at fellow UU church, The Gathering at Northern Hills.
Enjoy the YouTube video: Let This Be a House of Peace